On Wings of Fury
by TheRadiantDawn
Summary: This was the original version of "The True Dragon", but I took it down due to plot wholes and changed it. Taelerys Targaryen in a AU starting after the chapter of "Aegon's Vault". What would've happened if Taly had actually gone to King's Landing? Surrounded by lions, they should know not to mess with the fury of a true dragon...(COMPLETE)
1. The Wolf and The Dragon

It was strange returning to King's Landing. Taelerys didn't come back as the daughter of the king, now she came back to her home as a political hostage and a ward. The Red Keep opened the bronze doors for Taly and Lord Eddard Stark, who was appointed the new Hand of the King. She was relieved to finally be inside the closed gates. She decided to wear a hooded cloak when riding through my former home. Taelerys didn't want people to recognize who I was by my white hair. She wasn't really supposed to be here after the incident with Joffrey, but Ned secretly smuggled her in like a pack of jewels. Taelerys deserved to reclaim her family's remaining possessions. They had just returned from Aegon's Vault.

Taelerys groaned aloud from riding all day. "Finally, we'll be able to have a long hot soak, a big roast, and a featherbed to sleep in tonight." Taelerys was trying to make a conversation. Ned smiled with amusement. "We may not have had a long soak, a big roast, or a featherbed last night, but we did have a Valyrian steel stronghold and a warm fire to put us to sleep." he stated.

"I don't know if it was worth the Dark Fay watching us sleep," she frowned. "That was fucking scary."

Taelerys noticed her lord having a hard time retaining that smile. They sure had one hell of a wake up this morning. They had built a small fire and slept on the steel floor of the mountain vault that night. When they woke up, there were five obsidian suits of armor standing in a circle around them. The helmets were pointed towards the ground, directly at us. As if they were _watching_ us sleep. Taelerys had screamed and she wasn't one to easily frighten. If the Dark Fay really were on her side, they sure had a creepy way of showing it.

"Agreed, but you might not want to swear while you're living here," Ned suggested. "We're in King's Landing and Robert does not know it yet. He won't have a choice as you are already here."

"And you're the only one who doesn't give a shit about what he says," Taelerys add.

Ned nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

A steward approached as they dismounted. They hadn't arrived in the castle for one minute and already Ned was needed. There was a meeting with the council taking place at the moment. The steward offered to cancel for him, but Ned declined, not wanting to offend the council before even meeting them.

"Taly, could you take the horses to the stables?" Ned asked, handing me the reins. He ripped off his riding gloves and tucked them into his belt. "Yes, my lord." Taelerys answered, bowing her head in respect. We were in King's Landing after all. Ned smile and bowed his head back.

"I will see you and the girls at dinner tonight," Ned told me. "And be sure to hide the eggs and scrolls somewhere safe."

Ned walked away with the steward. Taelerys noticed that the steward looked a little confused by what Ned had said and meant. Taly, however, knew exactly what Lord Stark meant. She had to hide the two dragon eggs that she had smuggled into the city. Taelerys peeked into my saddlebag to glance at the eggs again. She was relieved that they were still there and safe.

What Lord Stark didn't know was that in her other saddlebag, Taly secretly brought a bottle of wildfire. After hiding my dragon eggs and wildfire under the bed she was given in her new room, Taelerys returned to the stables to clean up Flame and Snowfire. She sat on a stool to picking out the tiny rocks wedged in Flame's hooves. Taelerys was wearing a tattered light green shirt and brown pants with worn leather shoes. Her long, white hair in a messy ponytail. After picking out the last rock, she released Flame's tensed hoof.

There was a knock on the stable door. Taelerys looked up to see a plump and completely bald man standing before her. He wore the finest silks of all colors that she hadn't seen in a long time, they had very long sleeves, which made it easy for the man to hide his hands. "Good day to you." she greeted him politely.

"And good day to you, Taelerys Targaryen." the man smiled back.

Taelerys was a little unsettled by him saying that. Then again, this man was very unsettling just by his appearance. Taelerys stood up from her stool, wiping her hands on a rag. "You're not supposed to know I'm here." Taelerys said.

"Well, what people aren't supposed to know is what I live to know," The man replied. "Wearing a cloak doesn't hide your heritage. I don't think the king even knows you are here."

She didn't say anything. Taelerys didn't know what to say. Her cover had already been blown. But, this man clearly wanted something. When Taelerys didn't say anything, the man spoke instead. "Forgive me for the intrusion, my name is Varys."

"And what can I do for you, Master of Whisperers?"

Varys casually strolled around Flame. "I was curious about you. It's been seventeen years since a Targaryen has been in the capitol. I just wanted to come here and see you with my own two eyes." Varys confessed, patting Flame on the side once.

"A spider doesn't have two eyes, and you only have your two ears." Taelerys reminded him.

"Ears that stretch across each corner of the world," Varys added. "My ears have told me a great deal of many things about you and Lord Stark, as well as your brother and sister across the Narrow Sea."

A lump formed in her throat when he said that. Taelerys sincerely hoped it wasn't bad whatever it was about Viserys and Daenerys. That made Taelerys feel uneasy and vulnerable. Varys probably knew me better than I knew myself.

"Like what?" I nearly snapped, sounding slightly sharp. Her arms were crossed impatiently. Varys gave Taly a friendly smile. Though it only served to creep her out further. Like he knew something that I didn't, which he probably did. "How you used to climb through the inner walls of the castle—" Varys began. _He knew about that?_ "—How you broke your ankle when you were fourteen years old by tree climbing—" _Theon had shoved me out of the tree._ "—How you and Arya are close as friends could be—" _Anyone could see that._ That one made her scoff. Then, Varys paused for a moment. "How you went hunting with Lord Stark on Mount Balerion." he finished.

She felt my skin begin to grow more hot. The heat was burning the back of herneck and face. Lord Stark did tell the Usurper that he was going hunting with her. He didn't specify where though. Taelerys wondered, did Varys really know what we were doing? Did Varys know that we unlocked Aegon's Vault? Taelerys answered her own question. Yes, he did. Varys would know that. This man was no fool.

Taelerys snickered once, trying to play it off. "Yes, I wanted to go hunting with my lord, I'm not your typical lady."

Varys nodded a couple of times, taking the information in. "My little birds say you nor Lord Stark returned with any skins or pelts."

Damn, this man was observant. He didn't miss a minor detail. "Bad luck," she insisted, picking up a rough brush to get the dirt off of Flame. "Don't you have anything else better to do than spying on people's day-to-day activities?"

"Secrets are worth more than silver or sapphires," Varys told me, bowing before her as if she were queen. "Until we meet again, Lady Taelerys. Your being here is secret with me, I assure you."

That didn't exactly reassure Taelerys though. Meeting Varys left a unsavory taste in her mouth. She felt like Varys could be her best friend, but at the same time, her worst enemy. Taelerys was going to have to be even more careful with my secrets. His little birds were everywhere. She could escape the gold cloaks, but not the birds.

Things had not gotten better within the Stark household. Sansa blamed Arya for Lady's death and told her that it should have been Nymeria who died. And it was Ned who had to tell Arya that Mycah was dead. Arya was completely lost in rage and sorrow for what happened to her best friend. Throughout the night Taelerys heard Sansa crying in her sleep through the wall whileArya brooded silently throughout the next couple of days. She wouldn't speak to anyone. Taelerys gave Arya her space to mourn for her dead friend.

While setting up her room, she noticed that Mycah's chest of gold was hidden in one of her crates of clothing. Taelerys set down what she was holding to fish it out. She sighed once remembering what Mycah had told her. _That poor kid. His poor parents._ That was when Taly realized it, they wouldn't be poor. Not after she gave them what Mycah had intended to give them. She picked up the small chest and searched throughout the household for Mycah's parents. They had been given a leave of absence for the first week they would work at King's Landing. Taelerys thought that was ridiculous.

Their son was gone forever.

She knocked on the servants quarters, one of the maids answered. "I would like to speak with Mycah's parents," Taelerys informed her. "Tell them it's a friend of their son's."

"Jorge and Marieh?"

"Yes." she answered. Taelerys didn't even know the names of Mycah's parents.

The maid nodded once before shutting the door. Taelerys waited patiently at the door for a few moments. The door slowly opened. A woman with the same red hair that Mycah appeared. There were dark circles under her reddened eyes. The death of her son had no doubt taken a toll on her. Beside her was a man, and Taelerys could tell that Mycah was definitely his son. They had the same brown eyes and nose.

"What do you want?" Marieh snapped at her, taking Taelerys aback for a moment. She gulped before speaking. "My name is Taelerys, I was a friend of Mycah." I stated, unsure of how to go about this. Marieh had interrupted her before she could continue. "I know," Marieh answered coldly. "Now what do you want? Wasn't our only child's death enough for you?"

"No, ma'm, I am truly sorry for the death of your son. I tried to save him from Joffrey and failed," Taelerys explained all at once, holding the small chest out to them. "We found a small box of treasure while on Mount Balerion, Mycah wanted to give it to you but was afraid you'd of thought he'd stolen it. I think it is only right that you have it."

"We don't want it," Jorge sniped. "Just get out."

Taelerys put the small chest into his arms. "Take it, Mycah would want you to have it," she gently tried to reassure them. That was when Marieh's eyes became filled with rage. She shoved the small chest back to Taelerys, almost causing her to drop it. "I don't want to make money off of my son's death, who do you take me for? A Lannister?" Marieh yelled at her, a few stray tears stemming down her face. "Now, get the _fuck_ out!"

The door was slammed in her face along with a gust of wind. Behind the door, Taelerys could hear Marieh profusely crying with her husband Jorge trying to comfort her. Taelerys was almost in tears over this. Didn't they know that she tried so hard to save their son? She wondered if they blamed her for their son's death. That put a grave thought into her mind. Maybe Arya blamed her too. Taelerys walked away with the small chest of Aegon's treasure in her arms. She walked, walked, walked, and walked until it seemed like Taelerys was on the edge of the world. Her mind was in a total daze. It was as blank as a sheet of paper. _Death, death, death, that is all that surrounds me. People dying._

She couldn't blame those parents for their adverse reaction. They were confused and devastated by their son's pointless death. Taelerys remembered being in a blind rage too when her family was murdered. It wasn't until Ned showed her kindness and when Jon was born that she softened up a bit. Not everyone in the world was as cruel as the Lannisters or Baratheons.

Taelerys suddenly realized that she was no longer in the Red Keep. She was in Flea Bottom, and getting the stares from all the peasants. There were people covered with dirt and flies, dressed in rags, and some of them, wearing absolutely nothing. Children on the street with nothing to eat. All lined up against the walls with bowls, begging for anything. Taelerys glanced at the treasure Mycah had gotten. Mycah and his family were one of these people. The poor, helpless, and defenseless. If Mycah's parents didn't want the gold, she knew that these poverty-stricken people would.

Mycah would like that.

Taelerys walked down the muddy and shit covered streets of Flea Bottom. She began taking handfuls of the treasure and tossing it at every person she saw. An elderly man whose ribs were showing and was wearing nothing but a lion-cloth, a woman with five children sitting on a blanket, two young boys leaning against the wall, and many more faces. Their faces all looked the same. Broken on the inside and out. Fixed once they saw this silver haired stranger giving them gold. Taelerys noticed that people began to follow and gather around her as I handed out gold. Some of the children approached Taelerys and asked for more gold. She gave them a couple gold Dragons. They ran back to their mothers the happiest she had ever seen them. That immediately began to lift Taelerys's spirits. The crowd began to grow thicker around her until she could hardily move. It wasn't just the gold they were eager for, it was this king silver-haired stranger before them. Taelerys could hear the murmurs and announcements being passed on throughout the crowd.

 _"Is that Taelerys Targaryen?"_ A woman asked aloud.

A middle-aged man answered. _"The daughter of the Mad King?"_

 _"Must be mad if she's giving out gold."_

 _"She would make a better queen than the Drunk King."_

 _"Her beauty is matched by her kindness."_

 _"A true dragon."_

The crowd began chanting for her, shouting and repeating her name 'Taelerys' aloud. She soon held an empty chest in her arms. Taelerys dropped it to the ground and somebody quickly claimed it. Even the chest held value, but not as much as the owner did. Taelerys felt the hands of these strangers touching her back, shoulders, legs, and grasping at her silvery hair. None of it was malicious or with sexual intent. They were merely reaching out for her. These commoners wanted to know who she was. They only want someone to walk among them, treated as equals. That was when Taelerys knew they were one in the same. Because she was always an outcast.

* * *

"I heard about your little adventure down in Flea Bottom, great job on trying to remain hidden," Ned said with displeasure at the dinner table, eating a piece of cooked pig. Taelerys shrugged once, taking a drink of wine. Now, she was cleaned up and wearing a bland blue dress. Her damp hair in a long silver braid. It took till the end of time to escape those people from Flea Bottom. The guards at the gates were shocked by Taelerys's appearance. The Targaryen girl wasn't supposed to be here. Taelerys knew that Lord Stark was going to get it from the Usurper.

"Who would want to go to that dirty little town?" Sansa remarked at her.

"Your welcome, my lord. You always taught me to be kind and compassionate to the poor and the week. Anyway, I went to visited Mycah's parents," Taelerys explained herself, ignoring what Sansa's snide little comment. "His parents didn't want the gold Mycah found, so I gave it to the people of Flea Bottom."

Taelerys looked over to Arya, who had stopped eating her lettuce and baked potato. A single tear rolled off her cheek and onto her dinner plate. Without a word, Arya got up and rushed to her room. Septa Mordane hollered after her, "Arya, you get back here and clean up that plate at once!"

"You clean it up!" Arya yelled back. There was a loud slamming of a door. The chair skidded loudly against the wooden floor as Septa Mordane stood up to go scold Arya. Ned suddenly lifted up a hand, motioning her to stop. "I'll talk with her, Septa," he assured her. "Arya is still upset over Mycah, give her some time."

Septa Mordane nodded in compliance. "I understand, m'lord."

Ned tossed his napkin and got up to go speak to his daughter in her chambers. Taelerys was left at the table with Sansa and Septa Mordane. Now, there was no conversation at the table. Of course, until Sansa spoke up. "Why would you visit that God forsaken place?" sneered Sansa with a glare. "Did you grow up in a barn? You're a lady, not a peasant."

Her blood began to boil as Sansa antagonized her. Taelerys bit into a piece of tomato. "That's the type of ignorant thinking that's gonna leave you without a friend." she smiled, showcausing the chewed up tomato between her teeth. Sansa's eyes widened with disgust. "You think I want a friend from Flea Bottom?" she scoffed.

For a second, Taelerys thought she was talking to the female Joffrey. Perhaps she had spent too much time with that blond cunt and his bitch of a mother for her own good. Taelerys gave a mere shrug. "I'd rather be friends with a peasant from Flea Bottom than that little blond idiot prince you're so in love with, the same prince who gave me _these!"_ Taly then snarled, pulling back her sleeve and bandages to showcase the cuts. They had started healing, but the gashes were still bright red and scabbed.

"You were antagonizing him!" Sansa said in a loud voice.

"Oh please! That is a load of horseshit and I know that even you aren't stupid enough to believe it," Taelerys growled in an accusatory voice. "Arya is your sister and I might as well be your sister, having grown up with you all these years. And despite that, you defended him instead of us. Even though he had no business poking Mycah with a real fuckin' sword. You're the reason that Lady and Mycah are dead!" Her voice was absolutely dripping with venom.

"Taelerys Targaryen!" Septa Mordane scolded loudly. Sansa immediately burst into tears and ran up to her own room, her hands covering her face the entire time. Taelerys raised her eyes once before turning back to her food as if nothing had occurred. Septa Mordane was glaring at her the entire time. She nearly shoved back her food before throwing her napkin on the plate. "Unbelievable, you are twenty-two years old and are acting like a child! You should be setting and example for Sansa and Arya!" she nearly exclaimed. "You are worse than Arya!"

Taelerys was in no mood for a lecture. Her stinging eyes looked up to the septa with distaste. She could feel her eyes begin to water, Taelerys held back those tears as best as she could. "Ever since I was eight-years old I've told to act like an adult, never allowed to be a child. So give me a break," she hissed. "And I am setting an example for them. I was the one who defended Arya and Mycah from getting attacked by Joffrey! While Sansa stood there and did nothing but look beautiful! You don't sit back and let people walk all over you like that blond fucker did. So yes, I am setting an example to them!"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic!" The Septa snapped. "Your behavior was absolutely atrocious tonight."

Her anger flared inside her like blazing wildfire. Taelerys nearly jumped to her feet. " Oh, but Sansa can talk that way at the table! I see how it is."

She grabbed her plates before marching them to the kitchen, before retreating to her own room. Sansa's pathetic sniveling could be heard all the way to her room. Something that annoyed Taelerys immensely. But, her own tears were spilling from her face too. So, Taelerys couldn't get on her back about it as much. Even if Sansa was responsible for her own suffering. Taelerys attempted to be quieter than Sansa was. And at least the Septa wouldn't be as mad at her for just tossing her dinner and not cleaning my dishes. Taly had never had any ill will towards Sansa before. All she ever did was sew and gossip about fairy tales, Sansa was just very lady-like although she did have her bratty moments. Taly didn't hate her for it... _until now._

She pulled the dragon eggs from under the bed. How they were so beautiful in the small flames of the dozens of candles surrounding my room. Taly made sure there were plenty on the floor, my night stand, my desk, and the iron candle holders. She had the curtains closed so no one could see. Taelerys enjoyed sitting on the floor with all the candles ablaze, in front of her two dragon eggs, and reading the rare texts she had gotten from Aegon's Vault. This was the first time in a long time that Taelerys felt truly happy and safe. Every now and then, she would glance up to gaze upon her dragon eggs. White and green. The swirls of the rainbow and bronze refracted separately from each egg. In the very least, the dragon eggs offered Taelerys comfort. She wasn't the only dragon left in Westeros.

* * *

 _Dragons have a strong connection to magic. When a dragon is born, the magic in the world grows even stronger. Mortals that are able to use magic, in particular with the blood of Old Valyria, are able to tame and control dragons. After all, dragons are attracted to power. They will only respect those who have it._

There was a quick rapping at the door. Taelerys nearly flung the valuable text out of her hands, she was so startled by it. The paper would've caught aflame in the sea of candles she had let go of it. Taelerys recovered and put down the dried bloodied tome, _Blood and Fire_. She carefully stepped through the horde of candles before opening the door. It was her Lord Stark. He glanced over my shoulder to see the darkness and the candles. Ned smiled with amusement. "Reading in the dark?" =

"I don't want anyone to know about them, remember?" Taly reminded him.

"Of course, just don't burn the place down."

I rolled my eyes. "I am a dragon, I don't burn."

"No, but this building and all the people inside it will." Ned pointed out with a chuckle.

If only he knew about the wildfire hidden underneath her bed. A dragon ought to breathe fire when surrounded by lions. Ned went straight to business. Taelerys noticed that he had his hands behind his back. When he showed them, Ned was holding the small Valyrian steel rapier Taly had given Arya. _Shit,_ she cursed to herself. Now, Taelerys was in trouble. "I'm guessing you got this from the vault when the three of you decided to go exploring?" he guessed.

Taelerys only nodded in response. Ned entered her room and said in an authoritative voice, "This is no toy for a child, least of all a girl."

"And yet I have a sword as well," she interjected.

Ned was just as angry. "That can easily change, Taelerys. I have given Septa Mordane the task of turning Arya into a lady and you are not making that any easier for her. A sword is not something my daughter needs to be playing around with."

"I was taught me how to use a sword, you gave me a sword, have I ever played around?" She asked, standing up independently. "Arya doesn't want to play around either. She really does want to learn."

Ned Stark exhaled deeply, lowering his head of black hair. He was reminiscing about something, she could see it. It may have been a different story when Taelerys learned how to use a sword and bow, but when it came to his own trueborn daughter. That was definitely different. "You and Arya have a wildness in you. 'The wolf blood', my father used to call it. Though I suppose in your case, it's 'The dragon blood'. Lyanna had a touch of it, and my brother Brandon had more than a touch of it. It brought them both to an early grave. And it brought your family to an early grave as well."

His voice sounded so sad. Ned did not often speak of his father, brother, or sister who had died during the rebellion. Taelerys realized quickly that I wasn't the only one to have lost family in the war. Sometimes she had forgotten since Ned hardly spoke about it.

"I looked up to Lyanna as the big sister I never had. That time I saw her fight off a knight in the Tourney of Flowers, I did everything to try and be like her. And now, her niece, her spitting image, looks up at me in the same light. It makes me feel like Lya is here with me," Taly explained herself. "Do you know how that makes me feel, my lord?"

Ned didn't say anything, only exhale with frustration at this. "Yeah, it's a sadness and a pain to see my daughter be so much like my dead sister. I worry that Arya might be given the same fate as Lya."

Taelerys frowned at that. _Maybe that was why Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna._ To her surprise, Ned handed Taelerys back Needle. She hesitantly took the sword, away it might be snatched away again.

"The only problem with Lyanna was that she never took responsibility," Ned expressed to me. "You will take responsibility of teaching Arya. She won't listen to words of a septa, but maybe she will listen to duel of swords. A sword shouldn't be used for show as your dear friend Joffrey learned the hard way. If you can't properly use a sword, you don't deserve to wield it. Understood?."

Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. She had no choice but to accept and immediately nod. Pleased with his answer, Ned took his leave. Taelerys was left holding Needle her my hands. The fate of Arya in her hands as well. There was no way she could teach someone how to sword fight. Taelerys didn't know the first thing about it.

* * *

Eddard Stark sent his steward Vayon Poole to tell Arya to go to the Small Hall. The tables had been dismantled and the benches shoved against the walls. Arya was very excited on this day. Father allowed her to keep Needle and had even gotten her someone to teach her swordsmanship skills. She thought the room was empty, until I stepped out from a pillar. "You're late, Arya," Taelerys mumbled, rather annoyed by that. But, it was to be expected. She was dealing with Arya Stark. The girl noticed Taelerys holding a pair of slender wooden swords.

 _"You're_ my teacher?" Arya gaped, unable to believe it. Her grey eyes were very wide. That amused Taelerys, who grinned in response.

"Yes, your father asked me to teach you," She tossed Arya one of the wooden swords. Arya reached over to try and grab it, but failed miserably, and hit against the floor with a loud clang. Taelerys let out a sigh, tightening the back of her braid. She wore her 'play' clothes as Septa Mordane called them. A simple dark blue tunic over brown pants and sandals. "Clumsy," Taly snickered, before holding out her wooden sword. "Now pick it up and fight, grasshopper."

Arya picked up the wooden sword, she noticed it had a grip and guard and pommel. She looked nervous, having to hold it with two hands. "This is heavier than Needle!"

"You're not lifting a greatsword, you only need one hand for a piece of wood." Taelerys told her.

"But, it's too heavy."

"That's the point, you need to be strong and balanced."

Arya wiped her sweaty palms. "What if I drop it?"

Taelerys was amused by Arya struggling with the weight of her wooden sword. "Can you drop part of your arm?"

"No."

"This is not the common iron dance of Westoros we are learning, hacking and hammering, no. This is water dancing, swift and sudden. The common water dance of Essos, a perfect fighting style for one such as yourself, who wields a rapier."

"You know Essos sword fighting?" Arya asked, intrigued at the prospect of Taelerys knowing other swordsmanship skills.

Taelerys raised a finger with a bright smile on her face. "Water dancing."

 _"Water dancing."_ Arya repeated with an irritated look.

"I knew a little bit before, I used water dancing to knock Joffrey on his ass. As of late, I've been practicing and reading more about water dancing. It's a very interesting concept." Taly explained.

"Then you're not a teacher!" Arya blurted out. She was immediately disappointed to have Taelerys as her master, believing that the Targaryen couldn't teach her. With a flick of the wooden sword, Taelerys lightly swatted her on the legs. It was so quick that the swing looked to be a blur. Arya jolted back, almost falling over from the blow. Taelerys had a teasing smile on her face, raising my wooden sword in an offensive water dancing position.

"A true master is an eternal student," she glimmered. "Now, try to strike me."

"Did you read that from a fortune cookie?" Arya grumbled, pushing herself off of the floor. Taly shrugged before laughing once. "Okay, yes. I did." she admitted with amusement. Teaching Arya was going to be fun.


	2. Fire and Blood

"Ow!" Arya exclaimed as Taelerys whacked her on the shoulder. She disarmed the girl, who quickly picked up her wooden sword and shield. Taelerys raised her own wooden sword in an attempt to hit Arya again, but to her surprise, the little Stark managed to recover within a millisecond. She blocked the attack with the wooden sword. Taelerys retreated as the both of them fell into their water dancing poses. "Good, you are getting much better," the Targaryen complimented her. "But, not good enough!"

Taelerys didn't want to feed too much into Arya's ego. She swung around trying to bat Arya at her sides, Taly was impressed that she managed to dodge most of her attacks now. Including landing a quick strike on her own thigh. Luckily, Taelerys's sword hand wasn't the one that bled yesterday when she and Arya tried to hatch the dragons. Taelerys slashed at her head, the wooden sticks clacked as Arya parried her attack perfectly. However, she made the first mistake these past six months by smiling at Arya's victory, who promptly disarmed her. The wooden sword flew across the tiled floor with a loud banging noise. Arya grinned at her friend with the sword pointed at Taly's chin. "Had this been a real sword, you would've been dead," she said, clearly refering to what Taelerys had said to Joffrey when shebeat him in a sword fight.  
"Oh, piss off!" Taelerys snorted. "I'm not that bad!"

She was glad that Arya was able to joke once more and the two of them started laughing together. Just like the good old times. Arya was finally reverting to her naturally happy self since Mycah had died. Taelerys and Lord Eddard had hoped to see more of it. Though she had to be careful not to let Arya disarm her again. Taelerys didn't want the little rascal getting ahead of herself.

Their happiness was cut off short, however, when the doors to the Small Hall swung open. Taelerys jolted back, so startled by the loud noise. There was the familiar marching sound of soldiers approaching. The same ones she heard from inside the inner walls of the castle when King's Landing fell.

A knight of the Kingsguard emerged from the arch with four Lannister guardsmen following behind him. They were clad in full armor. The knight lifted up his visor, revealing himself to be Ser Meryn Trant.

"Arya Stark, Taelerys Targaryen," Ser Meryn said, "You are to come with us."

"What for?" Taelerys inquired.

"Lord Eddard Stark wants to see you,"

Arya stepped forward, but Taelerys extended her arm to block her path. She was immediately suspicious of the Kingsguard, most of them were loyal only to the Lannisters. King's Landing was once a time of dragons, now it was filled with lions. "And why would Lord Eddard send Lannister men to fetch us in place of his own?" asked Taelerys.

"You're right, my father wouldn't send you," Arya then said. She picked up her stick sword and held it in a threatening way. The Lannister soldiers began laughing.

"Arya and I are not going anywhere," Taelerys firmly told them. "Until my lord's men arrive to take us, why don't you wait beside the wall like a good little loyal knight who never questions the king?"

Ser Meryn glowered at the Targaryen with his muddy eyes, grinding his teeth together. "Mind your tongue before I rip it out, girl," he hissed. "I am a sworn knight of the Kingsguard, the White Swords."

Taelerys had an amusing fit of laughter. "I'm sure that's what your sworn brother the Kingslayer said when he thrust a sword into the back of my father."

That was all Ser Meryn could take. He pulled down his visor and snapped his fingers at the other sworn swords. And like trained dogs, they obeyed, walking towards them. They expected us to only be stupid little children. Taelerys was determined to show them wrong. All they could hear was the whistling noise of her training sword as she hit one soldier on the head, before whipping the other soldier on the handle. There was a loud crack and Taelerys knew she had broken something. The guardsman yelped in pain, cradling his broken wrist.

Taelerys quickly tossed aside the wooden stick and picked up the guardsman's sword from the ground. The other three men unsheathed their swords in response. The fourth man stepped aside, still holding onto his broken wrist like a pathetic whiner. She licked my dry lips together.  
"Arya," Taelerys called to her, never taking her eyes off the Lannister men. "You need to get out of here. Now."

"B-But, what about you?" Arya stammered. She couldn't fathom leaving her only remaining friend behind. The Lannisters closed in on them. Arya took a step back and watched. Now, she would know that Taelerys was taking it easy on her during the lessons.

The three gold cloaks came at her from three sides with swords drawn. Taelerys had learned so much since coming to King's Landing. She was grateful that Ser Rodrick and Jon Snow taught her how to use a sword. She spun to her right, moving as fast as she never had before. This was her first battle all on her own. Taelerys shoved away one sword with her own and ducked from the second. The second blade hit the third soldier across the chest. Off balance, the two men collapsed to the floor like a couple of wooden blocks. She then whirled under a swing from the third man's blade, thrusting her own underneath the chest armor, angled right into his abdomen. The guardsman let out a loud cry before falling to the ground. Blood welled onto the floor in a large pool.

"Bloody oafs, what are you doing?" yelled Ser Meryn. "This is just one little girl!"

Taelerys moved back into her fighting stance. "I am no little girl, I am the true dragon."

Ser Meryn sneered. "Then, breathe fire."

"Oh, don't worry, I will." The Targaryen smiled back, pushing a few loose strands of silver hair from her face. The other fallen Kingsguard were starting to get up. Taelerys noticed that Arya was still here watching. Now, she was getting angry that the Stark hadn't left her. Dogs were always loyal, but so were direwolves. Taelerys spun around and yelled at her, "Arya, be gone now!"

"Not without you!" Arya cried back.

"Go!" Taly shouted at her. _"Now!"_

Sobbing, Arya spun around and ran. She exhaled deeply, hoping Arya would be safe without her. Somehow Taelerys knew that Arya would. She was a fighter unlike her sister Sansa. Taelerys turned back to her own grave situation.

Ser Meryn tried to do an upper cut slash with his sword, but Taelerys twirled around from his cut, moving swiftly across the room like a dancer. He and the other two men tried to gut her but were too slow. She moved quickly around a circular column, causing one of the men to get their sword lodged into it. Taelerys might not be able to kill these men, but maybe she could give Arya some time to escape. Ser Meryn chuckled once, gripping his sword tight. "You sure are quick," he commented.

"You sure are slow," Taelerys retorted.

It was a dance of three swords, all trying to stab and slash the sly dragon at once. Taelerys was a little amazed were herself, that she was able to hold these men off as long as she did. Maybe she needed to give myself a little more credit.

While Taelerys bounced off the knight's blows, she took advantage of their sluggish movements. She slashed one soldier across the neck during that interval of recovery. And the other, right through the chin. Both men slumped dead and bleeding to the floor. On the opposite side of the room stood Ser Meryn Trant.

Taelerys held my sword up to him, a cheeky grin on her face. "No wonder the King died with men like you protecting him," she taunted.  
Ser Meryn unbuckled his helmet, before tossing it across the floor. She could see his puggish face and short black hair more clearly now. Along with his stern expression that he always wore.

The Targaryen raised her white eyebrows. "Oh, Ser Meryn actually has a shard of respect now, eh?" she asked. "I'm impressed, Ser Meryn Trash."

Ser Meryn didn't say anything for a moment, already out of breathe. "You're good, I'll give you that, but not good enough."

"Shall we find out?"

Both opponents ran towards each other. Taelerys tried once again to attack Ser Meryn after he had given a powerful strike, but he was smart enough to be on the defensive side. Ser Meryn raised his sword and brought it down. She raised hers, blocking the blow. Their blades were locked tight against each other. Ser Meryn was trying to physically overwhelm her, Taelerys figured out rather quickly. That was her one weakness in this fight. Maybe this oaf wasn't as stupid as the others.

Taelerys had to be sure to exploit his slowness. That was the only way she would win this fight considered Ser Meryn actually had armor while she didn't. Ser Meryn then swung down low at her legs. She was alert enough to draw back, but not fast enough. The blade cut right through the front of her legs. Taelerys stumbled back once, but quicky regained her posture. She could feel the warm blood dripping into her leather shoes. They continued to hack blades at one another. Ser Meryn managed to land a slice on her shoulder, and received stab in his thigh in return. The aggravated knight let out a loud yell, lunging and swinging the sword at her. _He was too angry to concentrate now,_ Taelerys noted. _Another weakness to be exploited._

Taelerys stabbed her sword right through his arm. Clean through. The knight let out a loud howl in pain. She quickly withdrew my sword and stabbed him under the armpit. Ser Meryn crumbled before her feet. He was then sprawled out across the floor like his other dead men.  
Taelerys was panting heavily, her heart thudding across her chest. The gashes covering her body were starting to sting worse. She then limped out of the Small Keep towards the household. She carefully made her way throughout the courtyard to their home in the Red Keep. Taelerys quickly hid behind the bushes of our garden as a dozen Lannister soldiers ran past.

Once she had made it to the home she shared with the Starks, Taelerys entered quietly with her newly acquired steel sword drawn. Taelerys discovered the members of her household strewn across the floors, deceased and bleeding. As she made her way past the living room, Taelerys was horrified to find the corpses of Mycah's parents lying on the floor. Their bodies were intertwined with each other. She knew at once that Jorge had tried protecting Marieh from the Lannister men that slaughtered them. Taelerys silently prayed that they now rested easy alongside their slain son, Mycah.

She made her way up the stairs to her own chambers. Once there, Taelerys quickly fell to my knees to look under her bed for her belongings. The only belongings that mattered. Taelerys was going to need Blackfyre. She knew that the dragon eggs were useless to my situation, but Taly couldn't bear to leave them behind. They were like her own children.

As she reached for the small chest containing her dragon eggs, a dagger was slammed into her hand. Taelerys was in too much shock to do anything at first. Blood oozed from under the knife. Her body then registered that her hand had been stabbed. Taelerys let out a loud scream in agony, ripping the blade out of her hand.

Someone grabbed her long, silvery hair and threw Taelerys onto her back. It was Ser Meryn Trant, who was barely able to stand from all the injuries he sustained from her earlier. He had taken his armor off but Taelerys wondered how she hadn't heard him. She could see the blood trailing down his chest and armpit. "You cocky little cunt," Ser Meryn growled, disoriented from pain and the blood loss. "You're gonna pay for what you did to me!"

Her head rolled over towards underneath the bed. Right where the seven bottles of wildfire were hidden. Ser Meryn stepped directly over her, before crouching in front of my face. He held the dagger right underneath the Targaryen's chin. "You're going to suffer before I drag you back to the queen!"

"Still want to see me breathe fire?" Taelerys asked, taking advantage of the fact that the knight hadn't bothered to check her other arm. She then grabbed the closest jar of wildfire and slammed it into the side of Ser Meryn's face. The glass jar shattered upon impact. Instantly, the side of the knight's face erupted into green flames, and so did his body. His screams were the most terrible sounds Taelerys had ever heard. The green hue of the fire lit up the room more than any candle ever could. Ser Meryn tried getting up, as if to escape the flames clinging to his body, but collapsed to the ground.

Ser Meryn was dead.

But, the green flames continued to eat away at his demising corpse. The wildfire quickly spread throughout across the floor like black powder everywhere. The walls, the desk, the bed, the ceiling, anywhere and everywhere. It had been nearly eighteen years since Taelerys had last seen wildfire. She covered her face when the green fire roared towards her.

Nothing happened.

She didn't feel the familiar burning sensation that Ser Meryn sure did. Taelerys lowered her arms in awe. Her clothes had burned away. Taelerys was naked with my body completely bathed in the green fire. It didn't take long for the remaining six jars of wildfire to explode from underneath the bed, sending it flying into the air. None of the cursed fires resulting from that hurt the Targaryen at all. The bed was devoured before it could land on her.

Blackfyre was right beside her. There were two loud _kabooms_ as each dragon egg slammed into the remainders of the wooden floor like meteors falling from the sky. No support beams and no debris of the burning mansion fell on Taelerys because there was none. The fires consumed it.

She crawled through the flames, which only felt lukewarm at most against her naked body. Taelerys gathered my dragon eggs, which were unburnt by the wildfire. It was difficult to do with her wounds. She accidentally smudged a pool of blood from her stabbed hand across the scales of her beautiful dragon eggs. The heat beat in the air as Taelerys watched the fire consume everything around her.  
Everything that she had loved was gone. Everyone that she had loved was gone too, she guessed.

But she knew for a fact now that no fire could hurt her.

 _I am the blood of the dragon, I am fire itself._

Taelerys was about to leave when she started to hear voices. It sounded like women and children crying out. She sat there in the green flames, surrounded by her two dragon eggs and tried to listen carefully. She soon realized it was coming from the wildfire.  
There was a loud crack, a sound that Taelerys had never heard before.

 _Only death can pay for life._

And there was a second crack, it was loud and terrifying like the thunder. For a second, she thought my ears would split.

 _The true dragon has awakened._

The third crack sounded like the world had been split into two.

 _Fire and blood._

Taelerys immediately felt the warmth dissipate. When she opened her violet eyes, the wildfire was completely gone, along with the house and everything and everyone inside it. She was surprised that it didn't spread throughout the Red Keep. It was nearly impossible to put out wildfire, it could only be used in controlled amounts. Taelerys stood up, naked and covered with soot, with her beautiful silvery hair burnt to a crisp.

She looked at her hands and legs to see that all of the slashes and bleeding wounds that Taelerys had received from Ser Meryn were gone. It wasn't possible. Blackfyre lay in front of her feet. Taelerys reached down for it, when she noticed what looked to be the broken shells of her dragon eggs. The Targaryen picked up a black-and-red colored piece of broken egg shell.

Did the fire destroy them?

There was an unfamiliar trilling sound from behind her. Taelerys turned around to see two baby dragons gazing up at her right by her very own feet. The black-and-red dragon let out a screech. Its sister, the white dragon with sparkling flecks joined in, singing a song to the night that had not been sung for hundreds of years.


End file.
